Applying for ESTA

Only those qualified to travel to the USA visa free under the Visa Waiver
Programme may register under the ESTA. To determine whether you are eligible,
please use the US Embassy’s
Visa Waiver Wizard. The VWP is a government scheme which allows citizens
of certain countries to travel to the US for tourism or business for up to 90
days without having to obtain a visa.

You should submit your
ESTA application as soon as you have made your travel arrangements. It is
recommended that the application is submitted at least 72 hours before
departure; though the ESTA application system will accommodate last minute
travel.

Once you have completed the ESTA application, if successful it will be valid for
multiple applications for two years or until the date on which your passport
expires, whichever is sooner.

The system will normally respond with your approval very quickly. You should make
a note of the ESTA approval number in case you need to access your application
again. Some applications can take up to 72 hours to be approved.

Each travelling family member requires a completed ESTA. A third party can
complete the ESTA application and they are not required to be a relation.
However, they must be completely certain on the accuracy of such entries, as
errors will be taken up with the applicant and not the third party. The
applicant remains entirely responsible for their own records.

What if I don’t know my US destination address or flight details yet?

ESTA applications can be made without a full address or flight details. In the
short term, flight details are not required. You should register the full
address and flight details once known.